A large-scale solo exhibition of works by Takashi Murakami (b. 1962), an artist at the forefront of contemporary art, will be held at Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art as it celebrates its 90th anniversary. For Murakami, who has developed his career primarily overseas, this will be his first large-scale solo exhibition in Japan in about eight years and his first outside of Tokyo.
The exhibition “Superflat” curated and organized by Takashi Murakami toured Japan and the U.S. from 2000 to 2001, and together with the Superflat Manifesto that accompanied it, had a significant impact on the contemporary art scene. The concept not only linked traditional Japanese pictorial expressions with popular contemporary culture represented by anime, manga, and video games, but also considered the sensibility and social aspects of the Japanese people in the postwar period, as well as the capitalist economy, politics, and religion on a flattened plane. By using diverse methods to incorporate this concept into his overall creative process, Murakami has come to create a wide range of works that question the value and essential meaning of art. His career can be seen as an ongoing effort to challenge the international art scene, in which the Western values have become the accepted norm, providing new stimulus from a uniquely Japanese perspective.
The exhibition takes place In Kyoto, the city that was a center of activity for Edo period painters in which Murakami has deeply been interested since the beginning of his career, a place where diverse forms of art and performing arts are still very much alive and intermingle. Please look forward to encountering a new world of Murakami in “Takashi Murakami Mononoke Kyoto,” an exhibition comprising around 170 predominantly new works including newly painted masterpieces, representative series, and works that will be exhibited for the first time in Japan.
February 3 (Sat.) - September 1 (Sun.), 2024
*Some of the exhibited works are subject to change during the exhibition period.
Time
10:00−18:00 (last admission 17:30)
Venue
Higashiyama Cube
Closed on
Mondays, except public holidays
Admission
Adult ¥2,200 (Advance/Group ¥2,000)
University student ¥1,500 (Advance/Group ¥1,300)
High school student ¥1,000 (Advance/Group ¥800)
Free admission for Junior high students and younger
Free admission for university students and under living or attending school in Kyoto City with valid ID4.
*1Tax included.
*2Free admission for persons with disability certificate and one attendant (please bring your student ID, disability certificate, or other proof of identification).
*3Other special tickets are available.
*4This measure has been made possible through generous donations.
Born in Tokyo in 1962, Takashi Murakami completed his doctorate at Tokyo University of the Arts in 1993. In 2000, he proposed the concept of “Superflat” as a form of contemporary culture that makes reference to the state of Japanese society by linking traditional Japanese art with the flatness of anime and manga. In 2001, he founded Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. and serves as its representative. In 2005, his exhibition Little Boy (Japan Society, New York) was awarded the Best Thematic Museum Show by the American branch of the International Association of Art Critics. Recent solo exhibitions include Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow (The Broad, LA, 2022), MurakamiZombie (Busan Museum of Art, Busan, 2023), Understanding the New Cognitive Domain (Gagosian, Le Bourget, 2023), and Takashi Murakami: Unfamiliar People – Swelling of Monsterized Human Ego (Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, 2023).
Organizers: City of Kyoto, The Asahi Shimbun, The Kyoto Shimbun, NHK Kyoto Station, NHK Enterprises Inc. Osaka Branch Office
Creative Partner: Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc. Production Support: NHK Promotions Inc. Special Support: Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd., Perrotin, Gagosian
Major Sponsor: LOUIS VUITTON Sponsors: MELCO Group Inc., Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores Co. Ltd., KOEKISHA Co., Ltd., Hibiki FA Co., Ltd., nakaisyoten co.,ltd, GEEK PICTURES INC., Liquem Support: AMKK, Kyoto Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd., Keihan Holdings Co.,Ltd., Keihan Electric Railway Co.,Ltd., Takamura Co., Ltd., Branco Inc., YAMATO TRANSPORT CO., LTD., ARTnews JAPAN., α-STATION FM-KYOTO, HYATT REGENCY KYOTO
Curated by Takahashi Shinya (Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art) Curatorial Cooperation: Miki Akiko
A showcase of new and premiere works by Takashi Murakami, who confronts the theme of “Kyoto” head-on!
Murakami, who majored in nihonga (Japanese-style painting) at university, has been greatly influenced by the painters of the Edo period and has incorporated them into his own work. It is no exaggeration to say that this is the origin of “Superflat,” evident not only in his pictorial expression but also in his production methods and the Kaikai Kiki studio system.
This exhibition features a large number of new works shown for the first time in Japan, in which Murakami uniquely interprets, references, and reconstructs exemplary works by painters who were active in Kyoto during the Edo period.
1. 13-meter-long Murakami version of masterpiece Rakuchu Rakugai Zu welcomes visitors
［Illustration 1］Takashi Murakami, Dragon in Clouds - Red Mutation: The version I painted myself in annoyance after Professor Nobuo Tsuji told me, "Why don’t you paint something yourself for once?", 2010 Acrylic on canvas, 363 x 1800cm Ⓒ2010 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Rakuchu Rakugai Zu Byobu or “Scenes In and Around Kyoto” (Funaki Version) (Edo period, 17th century) by Iwasa Matabei depicts various scenes of Kyoto, including shrines and temples, festivals and entertainment districts, and people enjoying Kabuki and Joruri (traditional Japanese puppet plays). A thirteen-meter-long contemporary Rakuchu Rakugai Zu, painted by Murakami while referencing the original, will welcome visitors to the exhibition.
［Illustration 1］Takashi Murakami, Dragon in Clouds - Red Mutation: The version I painted myself in annoyance after Professor Nobuo Tsuji told me, "Why don’t you paint something yourself for once?", 2010 Acrylic on canvas, 363 x 1800cm Ⓒ2010 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
2. Murakami’s version of The Wind and Thunder Gods and Dragon and Clouds challenge the most unorthodox of painters of the Edo period!
In addition to the above-mentioned Rakuchu Rakugai Zu, this exhibition features the eighteen-meter-long Dragon in Clouds - Red Mutation: The version I painted myself in annoyance after Professor Nobuo Tsuji told me, "Why don’t you paint something yourself for once?" (illustration 1) shown for the first time in Japan in which Murakami took on Soga Shohaku’s Dragon and Clouds (18th century), a work that had a deep impact on him.
One of the highlights is Wind God and Thunder God (illustration 2) . The theme of the Wind and Thunder Gods has been revisited and copied almost every century by the likes of Tawaraya Sōtatsu, Ogata Kōrin, and Sakai Hōitsu, among others. Now, 200 years after Hōitsu’s “Wind God and Thunder God”, Takashi Murakami has taken up this theme and created a new work that will certainly warrant a look in person at the exhibition.
Surrounded by mountains, rivers, and ponds and protected by the Four Deities (Blue Dragon, White Tiger, Vermillion Bird, and Black Tortoise) that symbolize the four cardinal directions, Heian-kyo—a former name given to Kyoto—was considered an ideal place. In this exhibition, a new work by Murakami with these divine beasts as its motif will be shown on four walls surrounding Murakami’s version of Heian-kyo. The Rokkaku Rasendo (tentative English title) bell tower rises in the center of the space to ward off the disturbing presence of wandering mononoke, or evil spirits. (Illustrations 3 and 4)
4. The comings and goings of Mr. DOB and the evolution and amplification of Murakami’s characters
[Illustration 5] Takashi Murakami, DOB in the Strange Forest, 1999 Installation view, Under the Radiation Falls FRP, resin, fiberglass, acrylic and iron, 152.4 x 304.8 x 304.8 cm Photo: Alexey Narodizkiy Ⓒ1999 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Murakami’s signature character Mr. DOB first appeared in 1994. With manga and video game characters as its motif, Mr. DOB is an ever-changing figure that has plugged into various contexts. (Illustration 5) Morphing into the monster Tan Tan Bo, then into an extreme form of Murakami self-portrait, Gero Tan, and then back again into Mr. DOB—while tracing the comings and goings of Mr. DOB, a character that has embodied Murakami’s concept of “Superflat,” this exhibition will also showcase new characters depicted on shaped canvases, as well as various new works that reference popular culture, such as Murakami’s animated films and trading cards. Are they the mononoke of our time!?
[Illustration 5] Takashi Murakami, DOB in the Strange Forest, 1999 Installation view, Under the Radiation Falls FRP, resin, fiberglass, acrylic and iron, 152.4 x 304.8 x 304.8 cm Photo: Alexey Narodizkiy Ⓒ1999 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
5. The essence of Kyoto that attracts people from all over the world
Kyoto is a serene city with a history of more than 1,000 years that is colored with traditional events throughout the changing seasons. The exhibition features numerous works shown for the first time that take inspiration from Kyoto’s traditional culture, such as the Gion Festival, Gozan Okuribi bonfires, tea ceremony, and ikebana flower arrangement, as well as literary works themed around Kyoto. Takashi Murakami will guide visitors to this ancient capital!
An opening talk event will be held on February 3, the first day of the exhibition. We invite Takashi Murakami to talk about the exhibition’s themes of “Mononoke” and “Kyoto,” the background and significance of holding the exhibition in Kyoto, the exhibited works, his future activities, and more.
Speaker: Takashi Murakami
Interviewer: Takahashi Shinya (Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art, Project Planning and Promotion Office｜Curator of the exhibition)
Date: Saturday, February 3, 2024, 15:00-17:00 (doors open at 14:30)
Venue: Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art, Lecture Room (B1F, Main Building)
Capacity: 100 persons (First-come-first-served basis. Numbered tickets will be distributed in front of the Lecture Room starting at 10:15 on the day.)
Admission: Free
*A valid ticket for Takashi Murakami Mononoke Kyoto exhibition is required. Admission accepted before or after viewing the exhibition.
Throughout the exhibition, tour-style gallery talks will be held irregularly in the exhibition rooms.
Please take these opportunities to enjoy the exhibition while learning about the background of the exhibited works.
Confirmed Dates: Friday, February 16, 2024 at 16:00 and Thursday 29, 2024 at 16:00
*Each talk will be approximately 45 minutes long
Venue: Higashiyama Cube
Admission: Free (valid ticket for Takashi Murakami Mononoke Kyoto exhibition is required. Admission accepted before or after viewing the exhibition)
Capacity: About 10 persons per session (Reservations not required. First-come-first-served basis. Numbered tickets will be distributed at the Higashiyama Cube lobby one hour prior to each session.)
Guide: Takahashi Shinya (Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art)
*Schedules for March and beyond will be announced on the exhibition website and social media accounts.
Related Programs
Throughout the seven-month period of the exhibition, which extends from around Setsubun in early February through the coming of spring and into summer, various special programs related to traditional seasonal events and festivals of Japan and Kyoto are planned, in addition to related programs such as lectures and gallery talks. Further details will be announced on the exhibition website and social media accounts as soon as they are confirmed.
Audio guide
left | Kento Yamazaki right | Awich
Your guides to the exhibition will be Kento Yamazaki, a high-profile actor who has played a variety of roles in popular movies and TV dramas, in Japanese and Awich, a rapper leading the Japanese hip-hop scene, in English. The captivating voices of these stars will guide you through the multilayered Kyoto as depicted by Takashi Murakami.
Number of entries in the audio guide: 16 Total running time: Approx. 30 minutes
Rental fee: ¥650 (incl. tax)
Kento Yamazaki
Born 1994 in Tokyo, Yamazaki made his acting debut in 2010. Recent major starring roles include those in the “Kingdom” movie series, the Netflix drama series “Alice in Borderland”, the TBS Sunday theater series “Atom’s Last Shot”, and the movie “Golden Kamuy”. In addition to the upcoming films “Onmyoji Zero”, scheduled for release on April 19, and “Kingdom: Return of the General”, scheduled for release on July 12, production of the third series of Netflix’s “Alice in Borderland” has been confirmed. https://official.stardust.co.jp/yamazakikento/sp/
Awich
A female rapper leading the Japanese hip-hop scene.Awich is a coined term derived from the direct translation of her real name written in Kanji, “Asia Wish Child.” Born in Naha, Okinawa in 1986, she debuted in 2006 with the EP “Inner Research” and moved to Atlanta, USA around the same time. While living a street life, she produced her first full album, “Asia Wish Child”, released in 2007. The following year, she got married and gave birth to a daughter. Her album, “Queendom”, released in 2022, earned the top spot in the Apple Album category, and she held her first performance at Japan’s Nippon Budokan the same year. In 2023, in addition to holding her first nationwide Zepp tour, she released the album “THE UNION”. In November, she hosted her first one-woman arena concert, “Queendom—THE UNION—at K-Arena Yokohama”, which was sold out. She has also expanded her activities overseas. https://awich098.com/
left | Kento Yamazaki right | Awich
Exhibition Original Merchandise
A special store for the Takashi Murakami Mononoke Kyoto exhibition will appear right in the venue! Various original items exclusive to the exhibition featuring designs of Takashi Murakami’s works in the show, as well as limited-edition items only available on site will be released on a rolling basis throughout the exhibition. The latest information will be posted on the exhibition’s official Instagram and X accounts.
Presenting of the original artwork for the iwai-maku, a stage curtain that caused a sensation at the name succession production of Ichikawa Danjuro XIII, Hakuen!
The iwai-maku, a special celebration curtain that adorned the stage to announce Ichikawa Ebizo’s name succession to Ichikawa Danjuro XIII, Hakuen, garnered much attention at the name succession production held in 2022 at Kabukiza Theatre in Tokyo. The iwai-maku was realized at the request of film director Miike Takashi, who asked Murakami, while shooting a documentary film about Ichikawa Danjuro XIII, to “create a portrait of a contemporary Kabuki actor by a contemporary painter.” It is scheduled to be unveiled in Kyoto at the Minamiza Theatre in Kyoto from December 1 to 24 this year.
This exhibition will feature the original painting for the said iwai-maku titled 2020 The Name Succession of Ichikawa Danjūrō XIII, Hakuen, Kabuki Jūhachiban, a lively and vivid depiction of “The Eighteen Kabuki Masterpieces.”
The NFT (Non-Fungible Token) art project has attracted much attention among Takashi Murakami’s recent activities. Murakami’s very first NFT work, Murakami. Flowers, featured a series of Murakami’s signature Flowers expressed as 24 x 24 pixel dots inspired by Japanese TV games of the 1970s. And now, reimagined as trading cards, the series is gaining attention in the next stage of its development. For this exhibition, the first 50,000 visitors to the Takashi Murakami Mononoke Kyoto exhibition will each receive a limited-edition trading card. Please be sure to get your hands on these cards, which will only be available at this exhibition.
*One trading card per ticket will be distributed at the time of admission. The card can only be redeemed with an unused exhibition ticket.
*For customers with multiple admission tickets, the maximum number of tickets that can be exchanged at one admission is limited to 10 per person. (Distribution method is subject to change depending on the operating conditions at the venue.)
*A trading card can be redeemed with an entrance ticket for visitors with free admission. Entrance ticket is available at the ticket counter.
*Distribution is on a first-come, first-served basis.
*There are 12 types of cards in total, with Japanese and English versions each.
*You cannot select the design or the language.
*One card will be randomly placed in each envelope.
The 4.3-meter-tall red Embodiment of ‘A’ and blue Embodiment of ‘Um’ guardian statues, which are trampling on evil demons that bring bad luck, were created in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake to pray for protection against natural disasters, epidemics, wars, and various other calamities.
The installation of the Embodiment of ‘A’ and Embodiment of ‘Um’ statues is now complete in the Central Hall of the Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art, ahead of the exhibition opening. Please look forward to encountering the two statues, which will greet visitors at the entrance to the Higashiyama Cube exhibition venue and invite them into the world of Takashi Murakami Mononoke Kyoto.
Collaboration with Louis Vuitton Comes to Fruition.
Unveiling scheduled for early March 2024
In 2020, the giant golden sculpture Flower Parent and Child (previously titled Haha Bangla Manus) was unveiled in Tokyo, garnering much attention. This work, created to express Takashi Murakami’s conflicting feelings about the pandemic and his desire to continue moving forward, will appear in the Japanese Garden of the Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art in early March 2024 in collaboration with Louis Vuitton! Please look forward to visiting this new landscape in Kyoto featuring the work that aims to convey hope for the future through the power of art.
Related NEWS: Takashi Murakami to design Hanamikoji Street Arch to commemorate the 150th Miyako Odori Performance
Miyako Odori is a springtime tradition in Kyoto, in which a total of about 60 geikos and maikos entertain the crowds. This year, Takashi Murakami will design the arch of Hanamikoji, the main street in Gion. We hope you will enjoy a worldview in which Murakami’s uniquely exuberant and colorful designs fuse together with traditional culture.
Period: Monday, April 1 – Tuesday, April 30, 2024
Details：https://miyako-odori.jp/
